Lee County Sheriff Marceno trashes Ron and Casey DeSantis in vulgar audio 

Editor’s Note: The following story contains language some readers might find offensive. 

As he faces a federal corruption investigation and also floats a potential run for Congress, the last thing Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno needs to do is upset his supposed allies in the Republican Party. 

But that may happen as a result of the surfacing of insulting and profanity-riddled audio recordings of Marceno talking about Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis – as well as presidential daughter Ivanka Trump – obtained by the Florida Trident. 

The audio was provided to the Trident by a reliable source who requested anonymity. According to the source, the audio was legally recorded without the sheriff’s knowledge last year. In the first recording, Marceno can be heard calling the governor an ableist slur after an unidentified man asks him when DeSantis is returning to Southwest Florida.

“Who the fuck knows,” Marceno replies, before dropping an ableist insult. “Fucking Down Syndrome asshole.”

“I think there’s really something wrong with that guy,” says the other person, whose voice has been altered to conceal his identity. “I really do.”

“No, there is, buddy,” Marceno confirms. 

“You have to look at his eyes,” the friend says. “Look at his eyes.” 

In a second audio, the same person is heard talking with Marceno about Casey DeSantis, who’s currently rumored to be considering a run to succeed her husband as governor. 

“She’s disgusting,” says Marceno after the other person calls her “pretty hot.” “Rough, rough, rough. Her nails are fucked up. Rough. Like rough. I’m telling you.” 

In a third audio, Marceno shares a very different opinion about Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter. 

“She’s gorgeous,” he says. “She’s a different level, buddy. … Clean, fucking beautiful upscale Manhattan pussy, buddy.”

Marceno didn’t respond to a Trident request for comment, but his political consultant, Anthony Pedicini, claimed the release of the recordings was the work of the sheriff’s “political enemies” who are trying to derail his interest in running for Congress and create dissension in the Republican ranks. He did not dispute the authenticity or content of the recordings.

“Everyone knows the sheriff is a huge fan of the president and his agenda as well as the Governor and his agenda,” Pedicini wrote in an email response. “In fact, he was among the first to endorse Governor DeSantis. To suggest otherwise is complete political theater and misdirection and totally intended on dividing the three top polling Republicans in Lee County.”

Marceno has good reasons to remain in the good graces of both DeSantis and Trump. As previously reported by the Trident, DeSantis has the power to remove Marceno from office and has been closely monitoring the ongoing federal grand jury investigation that followed explosive allegations of corruption against the sheriff.

Marceno also recently appealed to Trump when his camp announced last month that he was considering a bid for the congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, who is now running to fill the governor’s seat that will be left vacant by DeSantis in 2026. The president also has the power to end the federal investigation. “I love Trump and his agenda,” the sheriff said at the time. 

“It’s no surprise with the sheriffs [sic] announcement he is eyeing a Congressional run – making him the immediate front runner – that’s [sic] his political enemies would stoop to new lows to defame and besmirch him,” Pedicini wrote.

About the Author: Trident senior editor Bob Norman is an award-winning journalist who has investigated crime and corruption in the state for three decades. He can be reached at norman@flcga.org.